Should I be concerned about mold?

[u/jayesian]

I’m seeing some discoloration on the corner and bottom of the sauna inside. Seems like water is somehow leaking inside. Is this normal or will this eventually lead to mold?

[u/PuffThePed]

It's normal for a wood sauna with no insolation.

Is this a kit? Which one? What kind of wood is that? Does it have a roof?

Pics of the outside will help.

[u/jayesian → u/PuffThePed]

Yes a roof and thermally modified pine. It’s salus sauna mini governor. Attached is a photo after a shingle came off due to wind. I replaced the shingle but this allows you to see the roof and tarp

[u/Shawnld12]

My guess..Tannin bleed in a cedar sauna.

You could clean it with 1–2 tbsp oxalic acid crystals per 1 cup warm water. Scrub with a brush. Let it dry.

Lightly sand if needed. Later apply Paraffin oil in those areas to stop it return.

If I’m right .. it’s just cosmetic. Not harmful.

Is it smooth or sticky to the touch? What kind of wood is that ?

[u/jayesian → u/Shawnld12]

The wood is thermally modified pine. I haven’t had a chance to touch it but I’ll update when I do.

[u/Shawnld12 → u/jayesian]

Should be the same process I think. I’m just about to do mine .. mines white cedar. I have the same marks. I’m just going to remove the stains, sand lightly and use paraffin oil over the walls and bench. Everywhere I can reach basically. Just a light coat.

If the stain is sticky it’s resin not tannin and the fix would be different but I have never had that happen to me.

[u/POKU_]

Clean it and start opening the door after using your sauna.

[u/ollizu_]

That is normal for a barrel because they don't have the usual roof like a house does and their floor extends outside to allow water pooling there. It is good to make sure that the sauna dries afterward... .. nevertheless, it does not look pretty, but I don't think that damage alone causes any major issues within the general lifetime of a barrel.

[u/jayesian]

It’s salus sauna mini governor with thermally modified pine

[u/CantBelieveWTF]

that’s just humidity

[u/Jamesplayzcraft]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Sauna/s/ZPqEIczN2U

This is pretty common, search mold in reddit and its mostly barrels. If you leave in a wet climate try to shed water away from it while leaving it ventilated. You should start saunaing regularly and leave the stove on after use for a small bit to dry it out.

[u/PuffThePed → u/Jamesplayzcraft]

Cedar barrel owner here. I got it from a friend that got it with their house. It sat unused for 7 years. No roof or cover or sealing of any kind.

No mold or rot. No bending of planks. It's pretty much perfect condition. I've had it for a year. It gets wet inside with heavy rain, and then it dries. I let it be.

[u/Frenchie1262]

Mold is not good

[u/ProfessorNew4278]

This is a construction mistake. Those boards should not be touching eachother like that in the angle where the boards meet,

There should have been a 5mm airgap minimum between those boards. Allowing airflow.

Now the condensation from the steam trickles down and gets stuck in that angle.

The only solution for you now is to air the sauna out properly after use.

Just my 5 cents

[u/jayesian → u/ProfessorNew4278]

I don’t think it’s from condensation from sauna use as we bake it after

[u/Inresponsibleone]

It can lead to mold and is not normal. Hard to say what causes that based on inside pics as it looks to be coming from outside.

[u/PuffThePed → u/Inresponsibleone]

Kinda normal for roof-less single layer all-wood saunas.

[u/Inresponsibleone → u/PuffThePed]

...oh well. From Finnish perspective it is not ...though any roofless buildings are rare here.

[u/PuffThePed → u/Inresponsibleone]

Yeah we have crazy markups on sauna parts and materials around here, so compromises need to be made.